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Trump Says U.S. Will Not Strike Iran Again Before Midterms as Military Draws Up New Plans
- Iran
- Donald Trump
- United States
- Tehran
- Israel
- Washington, D.C.
- Axios (website)
- The Atlantic
What happened
On Oct. 8, President Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, calling talks with Tehran "productive" and saying the oil blockade stays in place. His post followed reports that the White House had asked for pre-election strike options, and the Pentagon is still preparing plans for possible new attacks.
Summary
President Trump said Thursday that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. In a Truth Social post, he said the two countries were "having productive discussions" and described Iran as weak economically and militarily. He said the U.S. blockade of Iranian oil would stay "in full force and effect" and claimed 22 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz in one night, none of it Iranian. The New York Times reports that intelligence makes that claim debatable. His post followed a report in The Atlantic that the White House had asked the Pentagon for strike options before the vote, which sent oil prices up and stocks down. [1] [3] [4] [5] [7] [8] [11]
Military planning has not stopped. Axios and other outlets report that the Pentagon told U.S. Central Command to finish preparing for a possible return to major combat. The Times says Vice President JD Vance led a meeting at Camp David last Friday on a short campaign of about three days. It would hit Iran's missile and drone stockpiles, energy facilities and Revolutionary Guard command posts. Trump has vetoed five earlier proposals for major operations, the paper reports. A third aircraft carrier is on its way. The Times calls that the first three-carrier presence since 2003, while The Wall Street Journal, cited by The Hill, says it is the first since April. [1] [10] [12]
Talks through mediators keep stalling over the order of business. U.S. officials want to settle Iran's nuclear program first, and Iranian negotiators want it handled last. Trump turned down an Iranian proposal to reopen the strait in exchange for sanctions relief. Since September, Iran has struck at least 13 ships, according to a British Navy monitoring group, and U.S. commanders worry about protecting bases in the region. A White House official said things will go "the easy way or the hard way." An Israeli official said the chances of strikes rise significantly after the midterms. Hochstein, an adviser to former President Joe Biden, said the war is a significant vulnerability for Republicans. [1] [7] [9] [10] [12]
Summary written by Vox Populi News from the 12 sources below. See all sources
Key questions
When are the midterm elections Trump referred to?
Trump said the U.S. will not attack Iran before the midterm elections on Nov. 3. Israel holds its own elections on Oct. 27. [1] [4] [12]
Sources 12
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1The New York TimesRead on The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
Trump Says U.S. Will Not Strike Iran Again Before Midterms as Military Draws Up New Plans
The reporters have been covering the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The U.S. military is preparing options to restart major combat operations against Iran, even as President Trump continues to show…
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2AolRead on Aol (opens in a new tab)
Iran live updates: Trump says US won't attack Iran again ahead of midterms
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
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3New York PostRead on New York Post (opens in a new tab)
Trump says US military will not attack Iran before midterm elections
WASHINGTON -- President Trump claimed that his administration is "having productive discussions" and vowed to hold off on resuming attacks against the Islamic Republic before the midterm elections.
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4USA TodayRead on USA Today (opens in a new tab)
Trump rules out new strikes on Iran before the midterms
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump ruled out new U.S. strikes on Iran before the pivotal midterm elections after oil prices jumped and stocks fell over concerns that he could resume military…
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5Washington PostRead on Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
No new attack on Iran before the midterm elections, Trump says
The United States has no plans to attack Iran before November's midterm elections, President Donald Trump said Thursday, an unusual public pronouncement about military plans that came as he said…
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6The Wall Street JournalRead on The Wall Street Journal (opens in a new tab)
💬 Money Quote: Trump's Latest Post on Iran and Oil
📣 "We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran. I want to make it clear to everybody that, while Iran is in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily, and while…
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7CBS NewsRead on CBS News (opens in a new tab)
Iran War Updates: Oil prices surge as Trump reportedly considers resuming strikes before midterm elections
Trump weighing whether to strike Iran before midterm elections, The Atlantic reports The White House has asked the Pentagon to prepare strike options for a possible resumption of attacks on Iran…
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8POLITICORead on POLITICO (opens in a new tab)
Trump says US won't strike Iran until after the midterms
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the U.S. is holding off on further attacks on Iran until after the midterms, while maintaining a blockade as talks with Tehran continue.
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9Bloomberg BusinessRead on Bloomberg Business (opens in a new tab)
Hochstein Says Republican Midterm Weakness Tied to War
An adviser to former President Joe Biden said the Iran war is a significant vulnerability for Republicans and cast doubt on the political logic of escalating the conflict before the midterm…
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10BreitbartRead on Breitbart (opens in a new tab)
Report: Pentagon Orders CENTCOM to Ready Iran Strike Options as Trump Weighs Major Operations
The Pentagon has ordered U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations against Iran as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes…
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11CNN InternationalRead on CNN International (opens in a new tab)
Trump says he will not attack Iran before the midterm election
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has no plans to strike Iran before the midterm election.
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12The HillRead on The Hill (opens in a new tab)
White House on possible Iran strikes before midterms: Trump 'has all options'
President Trump has "all options" available concerning the next steps with Iran, amid reports the president is weighing whether to resume major combat operations before or after elections in the U.S.
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